FOOTBALL in front of fans returned at City of Liverpool FC this week when the Purps welcomed Market Drayton Town to Bootle. 

It’s a fairly tentative new world for non-league football, but it’s at least one in which fans up and down the country are able to attend matches again.

Though the guidelines around football’s return in front of spectators may initially lead to a few hesitant trips to the local non-league ground, it’s one supporters should make if they can do so safely — especially now that top-level football has confirmed its status as TV-oriented soap opera.